Rim tool



May 6, 1930. F. C. HEBERT 1,151,427

RIM TOOL Filed June 13, 1927 Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED C. HEBERT, `F JACKSON, `ISLIICHIGrAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL MOTORS CORPORA- TION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RIM Toon Application led lIl' une 13,

sary to'change a tire, the rim is broken at the split and contracted suiiiciently that a tire may be readily taken Voil or put- 4on. Much difficulty has been experienced in performing this operation, especially in the case of rims for large tires, as the tire and rim are both under considerable tension tending to hold the rim tightly in its normal expanded or op` erating position. y

Heretofore it has been a common practice to provide a tool as an integral or inseparable part of the rim. This practice has the disadvantage of making necessary the duplication of parts, four or five tools being necessary when one should suilice. A further disadvantage ot this practice is that the fixed tool interferes with the mounting of the rim on the wheel and adds considerable weight at the periphery of each wheel, a place where lightness is a most important feature.

In the design of arim tool, it is desirable to have the tool detachable, and readily so, so that only one tool will be necessary.. As in the case of any tool, it is necessary that it be suliciently strong, yet it is desirable that it be simple and light in construction so that it may be cheaply manufactured. a In the interest of economy and in order that the `rim may be readily mounted and demounted, it is desirable that the tool should be adapted for use on a rim withl a minimum change in the construction of the rim itself. In carrying out this idea, it is an object yof my invention to make my rim tool self-locking so that cooperating locking lugs on the rim on opposite sides ofthe split will be unnecessary.

It is theobject of this invention to provide a detachable rim tool with the advantages enumerated, one which may be quickly xed in place on the rim, and which, by a single stroke of the handle, will breakf the rim, move the parts to contract the rim so that the tire may be removed, and, by virtue of a past dead center portion, hold the rim in contracted position. This latter point I consider an importantieature as it does away 1927. Serial No. 198,457.

with the necessity of cooperating locking lugs on the two parts of the rim and further in sures that a single movement of the handle will unlock the rim from contracted position so that the tool may be readily removed.

Other objects of the invention will occur in the course of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing the tool in position with that part of the rim adjacent the split in normal or operating position.

1 Figure 2 is a plan View of the structure shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the tool in position just after the split in the rim has been broken, but before the tool `has moved the parts farther toward contracted position. i

Figure 4 is a side elevation similar to Figure 3 but showing the tool and rim in position midway between the positionshown in Figure 3 and contracted position.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the tooland rim locked in full contracted position.

`Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the part of an ordinary rim which is on one side of the split while `the numeral 12 indicates that part of the rim on the other side of the split. Fixed, by rivets` or otherwise, to the part 10 is a lug 14 provided with part 16 is provided with an aperture fitting over the centering lug 18 ixed to the part 12 of the rim and extending radially inward therefrom. The flanges of the part 16 are provided with coaxial bolt holes for reception of the pin 34. A lug 24 is riveted or otherwise fixed to the part 12 of the rim and has of theleveriarespacedlwide enough-.to :fit out` side of the flanged portion 16 of the lug 14.

In the normal use of the rim, the toolandr i i thepin .34.the1length-ofthe:slots 30.. The vslots 30 are ordinarily/long,.enoughthat wh'enthe lever is in its extreme position tokthe right, as shownin thedrawingyth'ebight of theba-il 28 extends beyondlthe lug 24 andmay slip readily under'the bent up end- 25 of. thelug. At a point on. the. outerpar-tof the arcuate leverandsubstantially midway between the ends of the slots 30 I have. modiiiedthe ynormal curve of the arcuate lever in order to' provide a. fixed ,fulcrum point 38.`

The operationV`v of. my` device is as follows: With the` parts. in position..asillustrated in 'Figure 1, the operating lever is movedy upward,.or.in. a clockwise direction, to the p osition illustratedr inFigure 3. During this movement. the. fulcruni `3.8i bears against the part 12 of therim and forceis applied through the pin..34:totheflanged part 16'y of the lug 14to1movejthe-part 1.0 radially inward relative to the partl 12. As the handle is moved far-ther in a clockwise direction the axis-about which the lever rotates shifts from .thepoint to the. pivotal connect-iony between-the. bail 2`Sandtheforked operating end of thelever. Duringthis clockwise' movement of the lever thepinl34moves ina gureabout the shifting axis. as described/and.y tends to .move the part 10 both inwardA and: to the-right, as'shown in the;` drawing, relative. to thev part 12.V After the position :illustratedin Figure 3.*is reached,

however, the. part .1.0 moves radially inward but little, as Ythelpin ,34 slides outward in` the slots 30,101* downwardas' shown inpFigures 4 and .15. Asthe lever-.is movedfa-rther on to the; position shown inFigure 5, the.` pin 34 moves to thebottom of.l thefslotsBO; Inthis position the rim is contractedand isf under a tension!V which tends. to separate the. parts 10"and412, or,.in.other` words, to. move the part @to the. leftfrel'ative .to the-part12, as

viewed inthe drawings. A further 4tendency l is fer. thefpart--lQl to --move radially outward 27 of. the forked (lever.` As. the contactof the 'u handle26iof the lever preventslfurther rotation clockwise, the lever is held locked in position. After the tire has been changed the vlever `is moved back-till" it hecomesfl'oose andlisremovedifrom the'r-imhy removal of I the bolt 34.

It is obvious from the foregoing disclosure that the operating Y lever is forked to give yadded strength and'stability and that the bail -28-isusedz for the .same reason. While a nonforked lever and a single link instead of the bail would not beso strongnor would it operate so well.,.still I consider this equivalent within .the scope Y of the foregoing disclosure. While I .have illustrated the rrimtoolga's readily detachable, I realize that it may beV possibleV to design the `parts,` so thatthey may be left on the-rim, instead of detached, without interferring with, mounting the rim on the wheel, and I` desire theappended-claims'to be constructedwith this fact in mind.-

I claim:

.LA rim tool comprising a leverl formed with a forked end,.a hail pivotally.A connected Vwithsaid forkedend,` said'end-being formed with.v registering lengthwise. Vextending slots, and. a. pinextending throughsaid slots for connecting said. leverwith arim, said. slots being Vso arrangedas to make. a pivotal connection with a partrigid wit-hone end of the rim. whilethev freerend of the'ilever. projects into engagement Ywithfthe other end ofthe rim so that the first movement of the lever is pivotal-'to breakthe andthefurther endgsaid lever being formedwith aslot ex'- tending; toia point. `substantially oven with and to .oneside of the pivotal connection of said link and lever and means cooperating .with said slot for providing af shifting pivotal connection. with a split rim., said slotfvbeing so'arranged as toinake a,A pivotall connection witha part with one end of the rim while, thefree eend. of thelever projects into engagementvwith the other end Vof the rim so thatthe first movement of.l the lever is'fpivotal tof-break,- the rim andthe further'sliding'pivotal-mot-ion ofthe lever laps the-rimends.

3;. A. rimtool comprising a lever having a substantially'arcuate portion.a slot in said portion: for providing a shifting. pivotal connection directly withla; splitrim, and a pivot member connected with the. lever adjacent and to oneU side of' the. end-:of the slot, said slot, being-so arranged'. as tom'afkef a pivotal connectionE with-a partlrigidzwith; :one: enel of' the rim While the free end of the lever projects into engagement with the other end of the rim so that the first movement of the lever is pivotal to break the rim and the further y sliding pivotal motion of the lever laps the 'J rim ends.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

FRED C. HEBERT. 

